Page 324 of Redeeming 6

“Because it doesn’t matter to you,” I snapped. “It doesn’t matter, okay? So just drop it.”

“I think it does matter, Joey, and I think you matter, too.”

“You’re wrong,” I bit out, needing this woman to just back off. “So, just give up.”

“You’ve been traveling down a very long road, love. Maybe it’s time to rest those feet and let someone else carry the load for you?” She implored me with her eyes to listen. “Let me help you. Let me save you, Joey.”

“You can’t.” What part of that didn’t she get? “There’s nothing left to save, Mrs. Kavanagh, so please just stop.”

When her son strode into the kitchen a moment later, I could have kissed the fucking ground at his feet.

“Oh, love, you’re home.” Springing to her feet, Edel rushed for her son, thankfully taking her hugs and cuddles with her. “How was training?”

“Grand,” Kavanagh replied, accepting his mother’s kiss on the cheek. “What’s going on?”

“Are you hungry, Johnny? I’ve made roast beef with pepper sauce.”

“Jesus.” Sinking down on the stool his father had vacated, he let out a whistle and pointed to my face. “Cormac got you good.”

No, my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend’s father got me good.

“Yeah, and I got you good,” I said instead, feeling like a piece of shit for clocking him earlier. “Sorry about that,” I offered with a shrug. “Poor communication skills.” Understatement of the century.

“So, what’s happening now?”

“I’m in a fair bit of shit,” I deadpanned. “That’s what’s happening now.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much,” he replied evenly, sounding eerily similar to his father in this moment. “Are you being charged?”

“He’s not going to be charged with anything,” his mother answered for me as she fussed at him and ruffled his hair. “Your father has made sure of that.”

Kavanagh’s brows shot up. “You’re off the hook?”

“Apparently.” I shrugged again. “According to your parents.”

“Where’s your ma?” Jesus Christ, he was as nosy as his mother. “Did she go down to the station for you?”

Did she fuck.

“She’s working,” I deadpanned, knowing that a fella with parents like his could never in a million years understand my situation. He could try. He could sympathize. He could listen to all of my sister’s tales of woe. But he could never truly get it. No one could. Not unless they lived through it. “Couldn’t get through to her phone.”

“That was Principal Twomey,” John announced, returning to the kitchen, phone in hand. “The school board held an emergency meeting tonight.”

“And?”

“And Bella will not be returning to Tommen to finish out the school year.”

“Thank Christ for that,” I muttered, thankful that at least something good had come from a very unproductive day. One of my sister’s bullies was gone. Permanently. I considered that to be worth the hassle. Knowing that Shannon would have one less tormentor made the whole ordeal worthwhile.

“She will be allowed to sit her leaving cert in one of the local schools, but she will not be welcome back at Tommen. Her locker has been cleared out, her phone has been confiscated, and all images she took of Shannon have been erased,” John continued to reel off in that no-nonsense lawyer voice of his. “Natasha O’Sullivan and Kelly Dunne have both been given a week’s suspension for their roles in the incident. Due to Shannon’s statements, though, and following a lot of discussion, it has been decided by the board that both girls will return to Tommen after their suspension and will be permitted to sit their exams there.”

“That’s bullshit,” we both chorused in unison.

“Pick your battles, boys. This is a good result.” Accepting the cup of coffee his wife held out for him, John kissed her before turning his attention back to us. “Take emotion out of the equation and look at the result for what it is: a win.”

“And Cormac?” Johnny pressed. “How’d you manage to pull that one off? He was hell-bent on pressing charges earlier.”

“With a great deal of persuasion.”

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